Media Cravings Are Similar To Drug Addiction

Technology is getting powerful with each passing day. It is definitely becoming an integral part of our lives. But the most affected ones are the youth and the even younger generations because they have not seen a life without technology.

An interesting study regarding the same was published by the university's International Centre for Media & the Public Agenda (ICMPA) and the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change. This study has revealed some alarming results.

According to this study titled 'The World Unplugged' most students cannot spend a single day without media. 1000 university students were interviewed at 12 campuses from 10 countries that included UK, China and America. The students were not allowed to use laptops, cell phones, internet, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and were not even allowed to watch Television. They were allowed to read books and use their landline telephones.

They can never complete 24 hours straight without access to media and technology. 4 out of 5 students felt mental and physical distress, panic, confusion and isolation when they were forced to unplug from technology for one day. College students across the globe admitted that they were addicted to modern technology such as mobile phones, laptops, social networking sites (Facebook/Twitter) and even television.

Students expressed that they had cravings to use media. They had anxiety attacks and suffered from depression during the time they could not use media. One American student openly said that his craving was the same as the itching feeling of a cocaine addict.

Another revelation was that some students ended up having deeper conversations with others when they were unplugged. Only 21% of the students could feel the benefits of being unplugged.

I think the digital media has taken over...It is ruling our lives and will rule us Big Time! Obviously, the younger generations will be absolute media druggies because they have no sense of a life where there is no media but technology has made older tech savvy people quite an addict too. There is definitely no escape. The reason for the addiction could be many - isolation, comfort, solitude. There must be something that is taking away the real life out of our lives and is leading us to a virtual life.

Dead Baby Found In Oprah's South African School

Oprah Winfrey must be troubled and under a lot of stress because the famous TV host has always stood up for human rights and strongly supports the idea of helping one another to make the world a better place.

However, everything she does with the good intentions don't always end up the way she wants them to. Oprah Winfrey opened Leadership Academy for Girls in Johannesburg, South Africa. Recent news is that a dead baby was found in a bag in the premises of the school.

It is believed that the baby belonged to a 17 year old student of the Academy. The hospital staffers discovered the baby in her bag when she came there because of non stop bleeding. Police is investigating the case but have not filed any charges as yet. They don't think that the child died because of foul play.

Oprah has decided to not comment because a minor is involved here. This is not the first time, Oprah had to face criticism for her rather scandalized school. 

In 2007, the school's former dorm matron was accused of molesting several students. Virginia Tiny Makopo was acquitted and Oprah was disappointed. She dismissed the headmistress and said she would do anything to protect the students. But in 2009, four students were expelled and three were suspended for inappropriate behavior and sexual  misconduct towards other students.

Thus, we can see the journey for Oprah Winfrey and this school is not all that great. The fact remains, that humans are unpredictable and even if you build something with the good intention, corrupt minds and badness from within does show itself and ruins the over all big picture. But, without being so critical on Oprah we can also see things minus her star fame. Kids that age do get pregnant and often their babies die. Teachers can also be molesters because no body can guarantee what someone would do alone behind closed doors. And youngsters do engage in sexual misconduct and bullying since forever. These are otherwise wrong things that disturb the society as a whole and Oprah can not be entirely be blamed for everybody else's actions that take place in an Academy she made perhaps.

Nevertheless, Oprah is under stress because of recent developments of the dead baby discovery.

Rape Attempt at Punjab University Hostel

Just now I read this report in which someone tried to rape a girl on Thursday night at Punjab University Hostel. The girl is an MPhil student & said that this man entered her room at around 3 am.

This sounds so scary. How can anyone stay in a hostel where someone tries to rape? Even an attempt is quite a scary thing. Those girls must be living in fear.

One of the students said that this man knew all about the hostel. He was looking for a door that is not locked. Even 2 of the guards were missing at night.

This man 1^st tried to enter the room of 2 girls, but he changed his mind as those 2 woke up. Then he went to the right wing of the hostel to search for another prey. It’s obvious this man was hell bent on raping someone or the other. How can anyone just walk around at 3 am where only girls reside? And he definitely knew his way around the hostel.

Anyhow, Mr. Amin said that the girl must have had a nightmare, cause the guards on duty saw no one entering the building. Very strange but it seems 2, 3 girls were having the same nightmare about a rapist. This seems to be one hell of a coincidence.

One can’t say anything with certainty. The matter has been investigated. But I don’t think any woman would invent this kind of a story. Instead of believing the victim, they invariably presume that the person is imagining stuff. Why would someone imagine something so hideous when there are better options?

Mockery Of Respect

We are generally taught to respect the elders whom we meet all our lives starting from our parents to the elderly in the family and anybody else that falls in that category. Respect is a word that we also associate with very important characters in our society...those who are our teachers, professors and mentors as they are the ones who guide us in life.

Today I came across a not so impressive story. In Gulberg Lahore, a girl lost her credit card in the school where she taught. Her father, however, said that the bank notified extremely irregular activity. 

Interesting thing was that her credit card was found by another teacher at the same school and what an amazing example did she set for the rest of the world. That woman went on to have a good time. Apparently, she went on a shopping spree that lasted for about 7 hours in which she spent about Rs. 100,000 on that credit card. She bought a laptop also on the credit card. By 9 pm, the card started declining transactions. As per a CCTV footage, the woman was also found a recorded tape using the stolen credit card. And of course, she has been caught after such reckless behavior.

I don't know what do such people think when they go out on such cheap ventures and do they ever think of what would others who know them would think of. In this saddening case, the students will have a good laugh at their instructor who turned out to be a stupid thief and rightly so because such people hardly deserve the respect. Such people make a mockery of respect itself.